Chiefly Friends
by Caliente
Summary: series of unrelated and not chronological between-the-panel/future drabbles and vignettes showcasing the friendship between Dani Moonstar and Sam Guthrie –– LATEST UPDATES: 2. Dani and Sam watch the sunset together; 3. Sam appeals for Dani's assistance after M-Day; 4. Rahne reminds Dani she's important to Sam; 5. Dani and Sam share a beer and porch swing –– WARNING: NOT A ROMANCE
1. through the glass, darkly

**Author's Note: **This is the first in a series of one-shots chronicling between-the-panel moments (and maybe some set in the future, too) between Sam and Dani. Written for the prompt Fanfic100 #84: He. Continuity-wise, this takes place after Dani joined and Sam _re_joined X-Force. Thanks to my beta for all his hard work and naming this beast. :) Cheers all!  
**Note1:** Edited 05/11/09. Changed word choice, some dialogue, cleaned it up, etc. Also changed it from past to present tense. Story elements are still essentially the same.  
**Note2: **Edited 08/25/12. Again changed word choice, some dialogue, cleaned it up, etc. Because I can.  
**Disclaimer: **Characters mentioned are used without permission and are trademarks of Marvel Characters, Inc. I do not own them and am simply borrowing for my purposes. Please don't sue.

**through the glass, darkly**  
by Bether

She's slumped over a bar when he finds her, surrounded by empty beer bottles. She's never been one to turn down a cold one but this is excessive by most standards. (Terry's standards really don't count.) He isn't surprised to find her eyes closed when he sidles up to her, her head laying awkwardly on the hard surface. An image of a pissed off Dani yelling at him for letting her behave this way floats through his mind and he winces at the accuracy of his overactive imagination.

Suppressing a sigh, he reaches over to begin removing her hand from the half-empty bottle she's somehow managed to keep in hand. Her grip tightens suddenly and she opens her eyes just wide enough to glare at him. At least, he assumes it's supposed to be a glare given the frown she's sporting.

"No." She draws the bottle closer to her as she uses her free hand to push her face off the bar, a clump of hair stuck to her cheek. (If she wasn't such a mess, he'd be tempted to laugh… but she is, so.) "'s mie." She tries to shake her head, nearly falling off her stool for effort. Thanks to quick reflexes honed by years of training, Sam keeps her from doing what would have undoubtedly been a spectacular faceplant.

The bartender, a middle-aged blonde woman, shoots him a sympathetic look as she begins clearing away the emptied bottles. He has a sinking feeling it's not the first time she's done that tonight.

Meanwhile, Sam's got a chest full of Dani to handle. "Thnkss," she mumbles into his shirt, forgetting her vowels as she slurs.

"No problem." His reply is automatic as he focuses all his attention on helping her stand upright. (Her beer remains in hand.) She almost falls when she tries to move away from him, so he wraps an arm around her waist and wishes she were shorter. Hauling a drunk Tabby around was never this awkward. Then again, she was usually trying to grope him, so maybe it was in its own way. "C'mon, Chief, let's getcha outta here."

Suddenly Dani slumps at his side and it's only his last minute grab onto the bar that keeps her from taking them both down. "No," she repeats more forcefully than before. "Don' wannnaaahhh." Her eyes are closed, though, so Sam thinks he might just be able to get away with carrying her out her fireman style.

Before he can enact this plan, however, her eyes pop open again and she peers up at him with what has got to be about the saddest expression he's ever seen her wearing. (And he remembers in scarily vivid detail the way she looked the day Doug died—how they all looked. Couldn't forget if he wanted to, actually.) "'ve got nowhere t'go."

Blinking at her slowly, Sam can only shake his head. "_Dani…_"

There are tears in her eyes now. (Christ, this is getting seriously out of hand.) "Killed him. Di-didn' mean to buh-but…" Tears spill onto her cheeks and her breathing becomes hitched. He really hopes she isn't about to start hyperventilating because he's already pretty screwed with what to do here. "He-he died fff-f'r lovin' me. I… S-Sam…"

He pulls her into a tight hug then. The way she said his name… how could he not? The bottle she is _still_ clutching is now pressing uncomfortably into his back and the wetness of her tears are soaking into his shirt but it barely registers—the crying teammate in his arms is so, _so_ much more important. He's pointedly ignoring the fact that they're in a dingy dive of a bar and the few people who are sober enough to notice what's going on between them are staring unabashedly. He doesn't care; they don't matter. As far as he's concerned, there's only her and him in the now. Everything else is just white noise.

"Hey, it's okay, Dani." He rubs circles on her back the way his momma used to whenever he woke up crying from missing his pa. "It's okay…"

"No!" she insists, voice muffled by his chest. "I-I shouldn' 've been so-so _self'sh_. I sh-should've let him go." She's shaking all over now and he can hear it in her voice. He's never seen her like this before and it scares him. "He-he loved me but… I should've let him g-go. Loved me too much… an' it killed him."

Brushing the hair on her face behind her ear, Sam wipes her tears away with his thumb. Absently, he hopes the calluses on his hand don't bother her. "Ya can't blame yourself, Chief," he replies, his voice lower than hers but equally insistent. He prays she can hear him over her grief. "You didn't—you _couldn't_ have known."

She's already shaking her head again before he finishes. "Buh-but I did! I knew heh-he'd be banished." Her gaze drops along with her voice. "Jus' like me." She bites her lip, looking up at him through wet lashes. "Wuh-would y'do that t-to someone you luh-loved? Th' only one…" Whatever that thought is, she can't finish it. She just buries her face in his chest again and begins crying in earnest again.

He can feel her struggling to calm herself, trying to take deep breaths and pull it together. Sam decides it's long past time to take their leave. As gently as he can, he half-lifts, half-drags her out the door to his faithful junker of a pickup truck. He keeps one arm wrapped tightly around her as gets his keys out and opens the passenger door for her. She's quieted significantly during their short journey, one hand balling his shirt in her fist while the other maintains a deathgrip on that damn bottle of beer. "Dani," he coaxes gently, guiding her toward the seat.

There's a blank expression on her face now, despite the tear tracks on her face. "He was so good. I should've protected him," she whispers, letting go of Sam's shirt and smoothing it absentmindedly. (He suspects she isn't even seeing her in that moment.) She's hasn't sobered up or anything but there's clarity in her tone now. "I should've done better." She looks at the ground and kicks at the tire halfheartedly. "He's the only one who ever loved me just for me and I couldn't save him."

Sam furrows his brows as he watches her. He wants so badly to force her to look at him but can't bring himself to do it. "That's not true, Dani."

A few fresh tears escape her eyes as she ducks her face further away from him. "Yes, it is." Her voice is soft but it leaves little room for argument. (Now there's the Dani he knows.)

Trying not to sigh, Sam places his free hand on her shoulder. "Dani—"

"Take me home, Sam," she says suddenly, eyes flicking up momentarily to meet his. (The irony doesn't escape him that he wishes she hadn't.) "_Please._" There's something in her tone he's never heard before and it makes his heart sink.

It's defeat, he realizes as he watches her tug at the ends of her hair. She sounds _defeated._ It hurts him, seeing her that way. This is not the Dani Moonstar he knows and he's out of ideas on how to handle her. So he nods and does what she asks. It isn't much than a brief reprieve, really, but he figures she deserves it. And there'll be plenty of time to argue later. (They never seem to have trouble there.)

Besides, if they're going to have that talk—and they will, he'll make sure of it—he'd rather she be sober and not drooling on his window. Though, he decides, drool is infinitely preferable to what Bobby did when Sam found _him _at a bar (well, passed out in the alley behind one actually) on the anniversary of Juliana's death. His truck smelled like moldy cheese for weeks after _that_ night.

Grunting sourly after missing the four stoplights in a row, he glances over at his sleeping teammate—friend. He knows she'll probably be angry in the morning (or whenever she wakes up with a wicked hangover) but that's not what he sees now. No, what he sees in the dim light is the hurt girl beneath the carefully constructed walls and tough façade.

He brushes her hair with one hand and smiles down at her when she snores lightly. He hopes someday she lets someone in—on purpose, not because they happened to find the hole she decided to hold up in. (Nobody should have to carry all their hurt alone.)

* * *

It's two days before Sam sees hide or hair of Dani again. In fact, he's pretty sure she doesn't leave her room that first day, except to use the bathroom and get Powerade refills (generously provided by Terry, resident expert in all things drinking-related). He's in the kitchen, munching on some crappy knockoff cereal because he doesn't feel like making a real lunch, when she finally stomps in. Unsurprisingly, she heads straight for the coffee pot without so much as a word of greeting.

In fact, it takes her a minute to notice him standing nearby. When she does, she brushes the hair out of her face, the only thing betraying any discomfort on her part, and forces a tight smile. "Hey."

He nods, still chewing, and smiles as much as he can without revealing the contents of his mouth. (He doesn't think she'd appreciate the show like his little brothers used to.) He watches her lean against the counter, feigning a casualness that neither of them buy.

It's another couple of minutes before she pulls together whatever it is she wants to say and fixes him with a curious look. "So, um…" He tilts his head to show he's listening and she pushes forward. "How'd you find me the other night?"

Sam shrugs, swallowing. "I just… looked."

Frowning from behind her mug, she makes it obvious she's not satisfied with his answer. "But how'd you know _where_ to look?"

"I didn't." Which is the God's honest truth. (He's found the truth often saves him from her temper and he's thanked his momma for raising him to be a Southern gentleman more than once because of it.) "I tried three other bars before that one." And he'll be scrubbing the mental image of Bar #2 from his mind for weeks to come, he's certain.

The distinctly familiar look of frustration forms on Dani's face. "But how'd you know to even look for me in the _first place?_" she presses, tone matching her expression.

That's when Sam decides to lay his hand down. (He'd already known she wouldn't settle for anything less than the entire story but the part of him that could never stop being competitive with her resisted all the same.) He puts his bowl down and moves closer to her. She shifts into a more defensive stance but that doesn't put him off—it's pretty much her natural state.

"I'm your friend," he says simply and there's nothing but sincerity in his face. (She's not the type to believe anything less.) He puts a hand on her arm, drawing her full attention to him. "I _know_ you, Dani." He squeezes where his hand lays. "And I care about you."

She still looks annoyed, though he suspects it has more to do with the tears he sees forming in her eyes than him. "You remembered." Her words are quiet but there's no question in the tone.

Sam swallows the lump in his throat, his chest tightening with the memory. "It's hard to forget the days when my friends almost die." Or the days that they did. (Even when they come back later… _especially_ when they didn't.)

That's when Dani's mask crumbles and suddenly she's crying and he's pulling her into a strong hug and it's just like the other night except completely different. Sam pretends not to feel the prickle of tears in his own eyes or the weight sitting on his chest that never quite goes away. He holds her (and is secretly glad she's gripping him back) until she pulls away, quickly running her hands over her cheek self-consciously.

Taking a deep breath, she meets his gaze evenly. "I'm guessing it was you who found our drunken Bobby a few months back then?" She phrases it like a question but he suspects she already knows the answer. When he confirms it, she smiles faintly. "You're a pretty amazing friend, know that, Guthrie?"

Scratching his chin with mock-thoughtfulness, he grins and nods again in easy agreement. "Mighta been told that once or twice." Then he winks, despite the fact that he's never been able to pull it off. "Never hurts to hear it again, though."

Dani swats at his arm playfully. "I swear," she groans with a shake of her head, "so like the brother I never had." She gives him a pointed look. "Or wanted." Sam is the very picture of indignant and she smiles again. "But thanks. For remembering and coming to get me and… stuff."

He knows there's more she wants to say but won't (or can't), so he lets her leave it there. "Oh, yes. The stuff." Sam nods sagely. "That was the hardest bit, you know." She rolls her eyes before turning away to top off her mug. "You were wrong, though," he continues, steering their conversation back toward serious. "He isn't the only who's ever loved you."

A sharp laugh escapes her lips but he doesn't miss the way her shoulders stiffen.

Gently grabbing her wrist, he tugs on her arm and she obliges his silent request by facing him again. "I mean it, Dani. You got stacks of people that love you an awful lot. Trust me."

Cheeks slightly flush, she avoids meeting his gaze. "I know. That's not…" She covers her eyes with a hand and composes herself. "Ugh, it's so stupid." Dani sighs before continuing on as if knowing he'll keep pressing her (which, admittedly, she probably does because he would): "But, see, nobody else has ever loved me with that kind of… devotion, I guess would be the best word. I know the team—any one of you—would give your life in a moment to save mine because I'd do the same for all of you but the connection we shared was different." She frowns, a line of frustration forming between her eyebrows. "The only other bond like that I've ever shared was with Rahne." She runs a hand through her hair, clearly unhappy. "And it just makes me feel like, I dunno, I'm somehow incapable of having a normal emotional connection with another human being or something."

Sam blinks. That isn't anything he ever thought he'd hear come out of her mouth. (She must still be operating at under one hundred percent.) "You are so full of it, Moonstar." Dani's jaw drops and she gapes at him. Not that he lets that stop him. "Long as I've known you, Chief, I ain't ever seen anyone push you away. It's _always_ been the other way 'round." Eyes narrowed, she opens her mouth to argue but he pushes forward. "I mean, you're so stuck on being independent that you—"

"_That_," Dani interrupts curtly, eyes flashing in a way that says she's only _just_ holding her temper in, "is quite enough, thank you. I get it." Her knuckles are white from the force with which she's gripping her mug and Sam has a sneaking suspicion she's imaging it's his neck. "I'm sorry I asked."

She starts moving away but his arms shoots out to block her path. "Hey." He's smiling again as meets her glare with warm eyes. "Just don't forget, okay? Despite your best efforts, people _do_ love you." He kisses her on the forehead. "_I_ love you." His arms fall back to his sides. "And someday you'll find someone you love enough to let all the way in. Brightwind won't be the last one to love you with that kind of devotion."

The look she gives him is uncharacteristically vulnerable and Sam remembers how she looked asleep in his truck. "Think so?"

"Know so," he responds easily. The fact that she's even asking tells him that much. He waits a beat, then grins widely at her. "Hell, I'd go for it if I thought I stood any kinda chance."

She makes a face at him and heads for the door. "Ha-_ha_. Funny, Sam."

"I like to think so," he calls after her before heading to the sink to wash his dish. He hears her laughter echo down the hallway and finds himself chuckling along with her. She'll be all right. They all will. They're a family, after all. And family never forgets.


	2. when the sun goes down

**Author's Note: **For Fanfic100 prompt #32: Sunset. Set around New Mutants v2 #13 and X-Treme X-Men #46 (basically when Grant Morrison destroyed the mansion in New X-Men v1). Thanks to my beta. Cheers!  
**Note1: **Edited 05/11/09. Fixed it up a bit by editing dialogue/word choice/etc., kept perspective constant and things of that nature. Plot is still essentially the same, no big story changes.  
**Note2: **Edited 09/05/12. Fixed it up a bit by editing dialogue/word choice/etc. again.  
**Disclaimer: **Characters mentioned are used without permission and are trademarks of Marvel Characters, Inc. I do not own them and am simply borrowing for my purposes. Please don't sue.

**when the sun goes down**  
by Bether

He found her sitting on the hill that overlooked what was left of the Xavier Institute. She was cross-legged with her eyes shut, head tilting back as she basked in the sun. When he got closer, she smiled and shielded her face as she opened her eyes to look at him. "You waiting for an invitation or somethin', Hayseed?" she teased, pulling her knees together and resting her arms on top of them. "Get over here, Guthrie."

With a laugh, he took the seat beside her. "Good to see your gentle nature hasn't been tarnished by this cynical world," he replied, stretching his long legs out in front of him and leaning back on his hands. "'S what I like about you, y'know."

Dani chuckled, resting her head on her arms and they watched the sun dip behind the trees in a comfortable silence.

"Remember when we were the only students here?" she asked when the bright red circle had all but disappeared below the skyline. "Just you, me, Rahne, Shan and Bobby."

A warm smile spread on Sam's face as he nodded. "Sure seemed like the world was simpler then." He pushed himself up, throwing an arm around her shoulder affectionately. "S'pose it wasn't really, though."

"Disappearing family members, alien and demonic teammates, the Hellfire Club, _Doug_…" She ignored the way her voice wavered on his name and eyes prickled with unshed tears even after all these years. (It was probably just the brightness of the sun or something. Yeah.) Dani pushed through it. "But at least we knew all the names of our friends—_and_ our enemies. Now it feels like every other week some new villain tries to make a name for himself by coming after the students." Sure, they were all potential future superheroes (and villains, honestly) but right now? They were still kids, still (somewhat) _innocent._

Sam rubbed her arm comfortingly and she rested her head against his shoulder. "The students'll be fine," he said confidently. "They might have to grow up a bit faster'n most, but they've got you an' the others to show 'em the way."

Laughing without humor, she closed her eyes. The red sky was too ominous right then. "Might as well. We paved it, after all."

"That we did," he agreed, voice far away (buried in memories, most likely). "Road might still have a few rough patches, though."

Dani tilted her head so she could see Sam's face, which was currently framed by purple and pink clouds. "Then they'll stumble from time to time—just like we did."

With a laugh, he hugged her a little tighter. "An' they'll have you to help 'em up if they fall." He grinned down at her. "Probably look prettier doin' it, too, than Mags or Xavier ever did."

Snorting, Dani shot him a dubious look. "Probably? Quite a way with words you got there, Sammy." She watched the last glimmers of sunlight finally disappear behind the trees. "I feel for your unfortunate girlfriend."

"Hey!" Sam objected, poking her in the side. "Don't make me teach _you_ a lesson, Dani Moonstar."

She let out a loud, "Ha!" and tugged on his ear. "As if you could."

Reaching around her, he grabbed her around the waist. "Ooh! Now you're askin' for it, girl!"

Despite the fact that Dani could have put him down (seriously, she totally could), she didn't struggle. Instead, she placed her hands on either side of his face to still him. There was something safe about being there with him, his arm around her. Something that made her feel brave enough to ask the question she wasn't sure she was ready to hear the answer to: "Sam… it's going to be all right, right?"

There was nothing but sincerity and honesty in his gaze as he met her eyes. He tucked her hair behind her ear and smiled in a slight, terribly lopsided way. "As long as you're doing what's right for you, it ain't ever wrong." He pulled her into a backward sort of hug.

Frowning, she twisted so she could see his face again. That was well and good but—"What if I'm not sure what's right for me?"

The confidence on Sam's face as he smiled down at her comforted her more than any words could. "You'll figure it out, Chief." He tilted his head forward so their foreheads were touching. "You always do."

She was quiet for a long moment, biting her bottom lip contemplatively. Then a grin broke out on her face and she gave him a loud smack of a kiss on the cheek. "I know," she agreed teasingly, standing up and stretching out her limbs. "But thanks; I needed to hear that." She winked at him, offering her hand to him. "Maybe you're not so bad with words, after all.

Letting her pull him up, Sam used his momentum to pull her into a headlock. "Brat."

"Ooh!" she struggled, poking him in the stomach in protest. (She could've gone for an over the shoulder throw, but she figured he'd earned a pass being all nice and good to her. This time.) "You better watch out, Guthrie! You're gonna be _so _glad you're invulnerable…"

Sam grinned, dragging her off as she continued to lob halfhearted threats at him and poke at his side. They might be adults now and have responsibilities and all that but that didn't mean they had to act _grown up_ all of the time.


	3. after all is said and done

**Author's Note: **Written for Fanfic100 prompt 60 – Drink. For continuity's sake, let's say it's set a bit before Avengers: The Initiative #2 and sometime after X-Men v2 #193. The title comes from a line in Josh Groban's song _You're Still You_: "and after all is said and done/you're still you." Thanks to my beta for all his help. Cheers!  
**Note2: **Updated 09/05/12. Changed word choice, some dialogue, cleaned it up, etc. but plot and story elements are still essentially the same.  
**Disclaimer: **Characters mentioned are used without permission and are trademarks of Marvel Characters, Inc. I do not own them and am simply borrowing for my purposes. Nor do I own the aforementioned Josh Groban song. Please don't sue.

**after all is said and done**  
by Bether

He was already seated with a steaming drink in front of him and one of those black and white cookies he remembered Dani raving about when she finally swept into the coffeehouse. She was all business with a brisk gait and stiff shoulders, although he thought he saw her flash Luna a quick smile as she made her way to join him. He didn't get a one; instead, he got a bland, "You're early," as she shimmied out of her coat and unwound the scarf from around her neck.

"Hello to you, too," he replied with a Look. It never ceased to amaze him just how easy it was to regress whenever her was with his former classmates. Even with everything that'd happened, sometimes he still felt like a seventeen-year-old farm boy with more insecurities than sense.

Now she offered him a smile, folding her outerwear over the back of her chair. "Hey, Sam," she said, mouth quirked with amusement as she took her seat.

"Dani," he replied with a nod and easy grin.

When he pushed the cookie he bought toward her, her expression became more appreciative. "You remembered."

There was more to what she was saying than the words she spoke and he nodded to it all. "'Course, Chief." They sat for a minute in comfortable silence before the elephant in the room began to poke at him. "So…"

"No." Her eyes were on the tea that had somehow materialized before her, but her voice was firm. No hesitation, no question. She had known her answer long before she entered The Grind.

He gaped at her. "But-but you agreed t'meet!" he spluttered.

Still holding the cup with both hands, her gaze rose to meet his. "To tell you no," she answered easily. "In person." He blinked at her and she shook her head. "Gimme a break, Sam, I know you. You would've pestered me until we met up, anyway." He wanted to object but found it hard given the pragmatic way she presented herself. And the fact that she was right. "I just expedited the process."

Absently, he wondered when words like 'expedite' became part of her vocabulary. (It was like one day he blinked and suddenly they went from being dumb kids to real adults.) "But, Dani—" he tried again.

"No, Sam," she repeated stubbornly. Tough as nails. He should've known she would be—she always was. That was (one of the many reasons) why she'd been more of the field leader to the New Mutants than him.

He frowned at her all the same. He could be stubborn, too. "C'mon, Dani, I haven't even told you—"

"The answer," she interrupted in a slow but determined tone, "is _no._" Something new (something _dangerous_) had entered her voice now. Most people would have backed down. He'd known her too long for that.

It was time for a new direction. "He's just a kid," he told her quickly. It was a low shot and he knew it but she hadn't left him with any other choices. He still remembered her killer instincts and everything she was willing to sacrifice for _her_ kids.

Dani shifted in her seat, crossing her arms defensively because that was her go-to maneuver whenever she felt uncomfortable. "I don't have any powers," she pointed out.

He fought back a smile. At least it wasn't another no. "Doesn't matter," he assured her confidently. After all, she'd never needed her powers to handle herself. "You did."

With one hand still on her mug, she rested her chin in the palm of the other. Her stare was sharp and searching as she eyed Sam carefully. He didn't flinch, though he wouldn't have faulted anyone who did. It was like she could see right through him whenever she laid on that intense stare. (Sometimes he'd wondered if she was back when she had the power to draw out a person's strongest fears and desires.)

After what felt like a painfully long time, Dani's face relaxed into a more pensive expression. "How bad is it?" she asked.

"Bad," he answered sincerely. Because it was. Bad enough for him to get involved. (It'd been a long fight in Providence, after all.)

The way she nodded made him suspect she'd already known (or at least suspected) what the answer to that question would be. "Bad enough for you to step in." There was something in how she said it that made it sound like an agreement—that made him feel like she'd known he'd been thinking the exact same thing. (Maybe she did. Regardless of current X-Men politics, she'd always been able to read him like a book.)

Honestly, though, Sam didn't mind the mind reading. He was used to that by now. It was the air of resignation about her that bothered him. "Dani…"

She must've heard the concern in his tone because she cut him off quickly. "No, I just meant… for you to _agree_ to step in." Her words could've been offensive if he didn't know her so well. But he did and the implication in her tone was definitely not against him. (Apparently, contemporary history was a good enough substitute for current affairs as far as X-Men politics were concerned.)

Instead, he shrugged. "Unfortunately, yeah."

"Dirty trick," she grumbled, sipping her tea.

He frowned again. "I know." Stuff like this—manipulating the family into doing the government's (or, worse, Emma's) bidding—it was all part of why he agreed to leave the mansion with Rogue in the first pace. Why he'd _wanted _to go, Sabretooth or no Sabretooth. (Although he definitely preferred no Sabretooth, hands down. Boy did he _not_ miss that sucker.)

Her posture was stiff with anger as she stirred her tea with a bit too much vigor. "She kicked me out." There was no question who _she_ was. "Out of my home, out of the lives of my students." Dani looked up. "And _they_ let her." No question who _they_ were, either. "What makes them think it's okay to toss me out one day and then ask me for help the next?" She scowled. "It doesn't work that way."

"I know," Sam repeated. There was no point in arguing. She probably wouldn't listen if he did and it wasn't like he disagreed on any particular point. He probably didn't need to, anyway; she was a good person and he'd never known her to do the wrong thing when she could do right.

To his surprise, Dani chuckled under her breath and shook her head. "It had to be you," she muttered, clearly bemused.

Confused, he blinked at her a couple of times. "Me?"

She smirked, inclining her head slightly. "Wouldn't have said yes to anyone else." She pushed her chair back in one smooth motion, standing with a grace and ease he would never possess. "It was good to see you, Hayseed." She tossed some money on the table, grabbed her stuff off the back of her chair and left him sitting dumbfounded. (Because she'd just said no to him a half dozen times and even though he had complete faith in her, he'd honestly expected more of a fight out of her.)

Staring after her for a long moment, he barely registered Luna clearing away Dani's plate and mug. Then he shook his head with his widest, goofiest grin on his face. It was still her, all right. Not that he'd ever doubted her. Mostly, he'd just wanted to see it for himself, to see _her_. He just wanted to make sure that she was still her, despite all the crap that'd been thrown her way these last few months. And the answer was undeniable.

He summed it all up in six words as he finally rose to leave himself: "Good to see you, too, Dani."


	4. the orange dress

**Author's Note:** Written for Fanfic100 prompt #12: Orange. It's set at some point in the vague sort of future that will never happen because Marvel can't let their characters be happy. (Bitter what?) Thanks again to my beta. Cheers!  
**Disclaimer: **Characters mentioned are used without permission and are trademarks of Marvel Characters, Inc. I do not own them and am simply borrowing for my purposes. Please don't sue.

**the orange dress**  
by, Caliente

It was a cool, sunny winter afternoon in Newark, New Jersey. Inside a much warmer, modestly appointed apartment, Rahne Sinclair stood very obviously trying to smother a laugh. The person in front of her was glowering violently in response. "It's very… _orange_," the Scot said finally.

Danielle Moonstar threw her hands up into the air, making a frustrated noise. "That's it! I'm not wearing it! I'm not!" She marched back to her closet as Rahne watched, hiding a smile behind her hand. "She can find someone else to be a bridesmaid because I'm out. I'm out! I don't care if its Sam getting married, I'm out." Dani caught sight of herself in the mirror and deflated with a sigh. "I look like a fruit." Now Rahne really was laughing which prompted Dani to throw a pillow at her. "Not like _that_."

"Look, Dani… I dinnae know much about dresses," Dani rolled her eyes at that comment, "but it's not really _that_ bad…"

She blinked at her friend. "Fruit, Rahne. I look like fruit." Then she sighed again and signaled for her friend to unzip her. "Why's he even want me in this stupid thing, anyway? I'm just gonna be in the way." Dani glanced over her shoulder at Rahne. "_You_ should be in the wedding. You're the cute one."

Frowning slightly, Rahne averted her eyes from her friend as her cheeks tinted. "Ach, I amn't." Dani hung her dress on the hanger, grabbed a robe and turned to face the other girl with a raised eyebrow. (She didn't mind her state of undress, but, for her conservative friend's sake, she figured she'd cover up.) Rahne folded under Dani's gaze. "And I might've…" Rahne took a deep breath then explained as fast as she could manage, "tried t'kiss Sam a few years ago." Dani's jaw went slack and Rahne's flushed deepened. "It was when I was, you know, a wee bit feral."

Understanding dawned on Dani and she gave her friend a comforting pat on the shoulder. "Yeah, well, I guess I can see Lila vetoing you, then." She smiled and winked at Rahne, who forced a weak smile in return. "But, still… why me?" She knew she was being self-absorbed but reasoned her friend would be thankful for the change in subject. "Shit… I was the only left, wasn't I? His only truly platonic friend." She groaned, covering her face with her hands. "This just keeps getting better and better."

It was Rahne's turn to roll her eyes as she took a seat on the bed as well. "I dinnae think Sam ever had a more than platonic relationship with Shan," she observed. "Or Sally. Or Maria."

"Is she not evil again?" Dani asked absently, propping herself up on one elbow. Being trapped inside had definitely shortened her attention span. "Wait, didn't she lose her powers too?" Rahne shrugged. Dani ignored the look she was giving and continued pressing the point. "Still—"

"Still nothing," Rahne interrupted, voice just aggravated enough to make Dani feel abashed. Rahne only got like that when the people she cared about were being especially thick—though it was usually directed more toward the likes of Julio and Roberto than her. "You really can't see it, Dani? Think about it. About Sam. You've got a special relationship. Always have. Co-leaders of our first team. Pushing each other."

Against her better judgment, Dani tried to interject. "But—"

It was no use. Rahne was on a roll. "And then when you were older—you were always there for each other. He offered you the X-Men. _Challenged_ you. Remembered to be there for you." There was a tinge of guilt in her tone at that. "And you-you were always there for him to fall back on. Supportive of him but still keeping him grounded."

"I don't really think—" she tried again.

Rahne would not be stopped. "What was it you told me? 'He's not my type.'?" Dani kept her mouth shut this time, opting to just nod instead. "I think—just my opinion, mind you—that you and Sam… you're friends but… it's like, even though you don't always get on, you-you need each other. More'n you need most o' the rest of us. You may not be the best of friends but still…" Dani nodded again, more slowly this time. She'd never thought of it quite like that but maybe Rahne had a point. Exhaling slowly, her friends voice grew more placid. "Just my opinion, though."

A long moment stretched between them. "He's always been so much better to me than I was to him," Dani said finally, more subdued. "I was never the friend to him that he was to me." She looked at the dress and sighed. "I don't deserve to look like a fruit at his wedding."

Rahne vainly fought a smile. "I dinnae really think that's fair, Dani. I mean, you've always been there to pick up his slack. Nobody else ever told him what he needed to hear."

Dani pulled a face. "That's just a nice way of saying I was the only one bitchy enough to be mean to the nicest guy to ever cross the Mason-Dixon line." She sighed and shook her head only to find herself being hit in the face with a pillow. "Hey!" she cried, sitting up and looking accusingly toward her friend.

"Och, just stop feeling sorry for yourself already," Rahne told her. "If you can't see the obvious, then you're right—you don't deserve to stand up there with Paige, Bobby, Guido and whoever else they've got in the wedding party."

Blinking at her friend, Dani smiled. "Yes, ma'am!" she conceded with a salute. She stood and headed toward the closet, opening the door to look at the dress again. "Why do you think Lila picked orange, anyway?" Dani asked offhandedly as she began to search for a warm change of clothes.

"Isn't it obvious?" Rahne returned, smirking faintly. Dani glanced over her shoulder and quirked an eyebrow at her friend. "She doesn't want to be upstaged by anyone else on her wedding day. She wants to look best."

Dani found herself grinning back as she pulled on a favorite pair of jeans and thermal shirt. "Fair enough." It was her day, after all. "But I think I'll hope she has to wear fuchsia next time she's a bridesmaid all the same."


	5. sweet content

**Author's Note:** For Stacey who picked the prompt drizzle and asked for a Dani/Sam friendship piece. I'll say it's set during _New Mutants v3 #15_ pre-kiss but it could easily be some other time when they were hanging out (e.g. X-Force tenure, UXM in SF, etc.). Unbeta'd, I'm afraid, so poke if there are errors. Cheers!  
**Disclaimer:** Characters mentioned are used without permission and are trademarks of Marvel Characters, Inc. I do not own them and am simply borrowing for my purposes. Please don't sue.

**sweet content  
**by Bether

Dani had her legs perched on the railing as she rocked lazily in the chair swing hanging on the porch. She had a beer in hand and her eyes were closed as she listened to the drizzle pattering on the various metal surfaces nearby. It was musical, in its way.

It was only when she felt someone sit down beside her that she opened her eyes again. It was, of course, Sam who joined her. He was holding his own beer and settled into a position that mirrored hers. He smiled when he noticed he'd caught her attention. "So."

"Mm-hmm," Dani hummed, smiling softly. She twisted so her feet were resting in his lap (because, with his longer legs, they could swing further—that was the excuse she was sticking with, anyway) and let out a content sigh.

Sam rolled his eyes but didn't upend her legs. Instead, he slung an arm over the back of the chair and watched the grey drizzle falling. It wasn't a half bad way to end the evening, sitting with his friend and sharing a drink in comfortable silence.


End file.
